Hard Realities
by zeusfluff
Summary: The Enterprise comes to the aide of the badly damaged U.S.S. London and in the wreckage Riker finds a woman and a little girl who mistake him for someone else.
1. Hard Realities

_**Hard Realities**_

Author: zeusfluff.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Star Trek: TNG characters. But I do own a few originals.

Summary: The Enterprise comes to the aide of the badly damaged U.S.S. London and in the wreckage Riker finds a woman and a little girl who mistake him for someone else.

* * *

It was the night shift and everything was routine, no problems. Then it happened. They got the distress call alert. Riker turned to Worf who was at tactical.

"Sir, we are receiving an incoming distress call. Federation signature: U.S.S London."

Nodding his head, they would have to wake the captain, even if it was 0300.

"Captain Picard to the bridge please. We are receiving a distress call from the U.S.S London."

He waited for the captain to respond before he closed the COMM channel.

"On my way number one."

He looked to Worf to open a subspace channel.

"Mr. Worf open a channel to the U.S.S London. This is Commander Riker of the U.S.S Enterprise. We've received your distress call. We're enroute. The Enterprise will reach your destination in the Gamma Quadrant in approximately two hours."

He wasn't even sure he was getting through, they were so far away.

"They are receiving us sir. Audio only."

Riker tried to listen through all the static over the transmission.

"We hear you Enterprise. Please come quickly! This is Commander Sarson. We were attacked!"

The transmission cut out quickly and suddenly.

"Mr. Worf can we get them back?"

Worf shook his head no.

"No sir. We are too far away to reestablish a link."

He nodded my head and pulled down on his uniform shirt, sitting back down. Captain Picard exited the turbolift. In turn, Riker vacated his chair.

"Status report number one."

Sitting down in his own chair he filled the captain in on what was going on.

"We've made contact with the U.S.S London Captain. She's in the Gamma Quadrant. I spoke with Commander Sarson, and they were attacked. That was all I could get out of the subspace message we were receiving."

The captain nodded in acknowledgment and stared at the view screen as the stars whizzed by. Before long, they'd reached the coordinates the London had sent them. They were adrift over an uninhabited M-class planet.

"U.S.S London, this is Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the Enterprise. Do you read me?"

Riker frowned when there was no response. The captain relayed the message over the COMM system. When they didn't respond, he knew there was something wrong. Captain Picard looked at Riker with a serious look on his face.

"Number one, take an away team aboard and see if you can find any survivors."

Nodding his head made his way towards the turbolift.

"Aye sir. Data you're with me. Worf you too."

The transport over to the London was quick. When they arrived, she was almost in ruins. Consoles were flickering on and off and the titanium support beams were down. Riker whipped his head around to the right when he heard a young child screaming behind a doorway. Data was quick to open up the door as Riker instructed. Once the door was opened, he came face to face with a little girl with the most beautiful striking blue eyes, screaming at the top of her lungs. She was reaching up for him with her arms outstretched.

"DADDY!"

There was a support beam down on the floor next to her and a woman who was heavily pregnant was pinned under it. Her eyes fluttered open and she moaned in pain.

"Thomas! I thought you were dead! Please get me out!"

Riker leaned down next to the fallen beam and reached out for her hand. She was a beautiful woman, long dark brown hair and striking green eyes. His brother did have taste after all.

"I'm sorry. You must be mistaking me for someone else."

The woman shook her head and screamed.

"Oh god not now!"

He held her hand and waited for the transporter to do an emergency beam-out of the four of them. He re-materialized in sickbay with the crying three year old girl in tow, in his arms. The woman who Riker assumed was her mother was lying on the bio-bed next to where he was standing. A nurse tried to take the little girl from him so that she could check her out, but she only screamed and held onto Riker tighter.

"No! I wanna stay with daddy!"

Riker put a hand up to say it was ok. The woman on the bio-bed was frantic.

"Thomas please don't leave! You were down on Vulcan when Jessica was born. I need you to be here for the both of us. For me, and most certainly for Erica."

Doctor Crusher didn't know what to say. Riker relented when a nurse got Jessica to sit down on a bio-bed across the room. He had to play the game.

"It's ok Jessie. Daddy will just be right over here with mommy. No more tears. See? Mommy will be ok."

Jessica nodded her head and stuck her thumb into her mouth. How could Riker intervene? This was his brother's family after all.

"I'm Morgan, Thomas. You know who I am. Don't act like you don't know who I am. Maybe you hit your head when you fell."

He noticed a shift in Morgan's attitude. One of desperation almost. She was in active labor and she thought Riker was her husband Thomas. All he could do was hold her hand and reassure her.

"Thomas, Erica's coming. Remember to make Jessica pancakes in the shape of shooting stars. She likes real buttermilk pancakes. Not the synthesized stuff from the replicator. She likes her eggs over easy. She said it tastes better when you cook it on your little gas stove."

Riker put on a brave face. Morgan was a beautiful woman, but she was still his brother's wife.

"Everything's going to be alright. Erica will be here soon enough, and we'll be able to hold her in our arms, safe and sound. Don't you worry."

She gave Riker a wild-eyed look.

"Worried? Worried! I have every reason to be worried Thomas! When you were down on Vulcan for that Energy Transference conference, I was up on the London giving birth to your first-born and she was breech! You had no idea did you?"

He reassured her again, her eyes and expression softening a little.

"She's almost here, I can already see the top of her head."

She kept gripping Riker's hand in a vice-like grip. He swallowed as he saw the baby in Doctor Crusher's arms, she was red and covered in blood.

Riker had never seen a live birth before, just a simulation while at the academy. But that was by the book. This was not. Morgan had bled out from her injuries, and Riker was now in charge of two children, the oldest of the two thinking that he was her daddy.

To Be Continued...


	2. A Rough Night

_**Chapter 2: A Rough Night**_

Author: zeusfluff.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Star Trek: TNG characters. But I do own a few originals. Enjoy!

* * *

"Computer, access personal files, Riker, Thomas."

Before the computer could pull up the exact files Riker requested, a video recording popped up on the screen, containing his face. He pushed play and watched himself speak.

"To my brother Will Riker, if you are receiving this message, it means that me and my wife Morgan have died. Of all the things I hold dear in my life, are two of the most precious, my daughters. I leave Jessica and Erica in your care."

He turned off the monitor when he heard Erica begin to fuss in the next room. Getting up from his chair in the living area, Riker went into the next room. He carefully reached in and picked her up. Quietly padding out of the room Riker pressed on the comm panel.

"Time: 0230 hours."

He'd have to get used to these 2 a.m. feedings.

"Computer, warm milk in a bottle please."

The replicator materialized the bottle with the warm milk in it. Erica was even fussier now.

"I know you're hungry Erica. Here you go. That's it. There we go. Hold on. There's plenty more where that came from."

4oz was just enough to get her back to sleep. Riker patted her back a little and listened to the tell-tale signs of a burp.

He was prepared, he had a burp rag just in case she decided to spit up on him. Once Riker was sure she wasn't going to spit up, he set the clean burp rag down on the table and carried Erica back to the room she shared with Jessica.

Placing her back inside the crib, Riker turned my attention to Jessica and walked over to her bed. She was fast asleep. He smiled, she was still clutching the brown stuffed dog, a likeness of a Labrador retriever under her arm in a death grip.

When Riker tried to put him under the covers with her, she called out in her sleep.

"No daddy. Spot is Jessie's doggy."

He kissed her forehead and tucked the covers around her. She had his brother's eyebrows._His_eyebrows. How was Riker going to explain to her, that he wasn't her daddy, but he was? Riker was only going to confuse her. Jessica had opened up her baby blues and was looking at him in a panic.

"Daddy, I want mommy! I have owies!

Riker hid an alarming look under a mask of calm.

"Can you show daddy where it hurts Jessie?"

He watched her nod her head seriously and point to the left of her chest in the middle.

"Right here daddy."

He sat down on her bed momentarily and scooped her up in my arms. Riker listened to her breathe for a minute, what was that rattling sound? Then suddenly it was gone, and Jessica had closed her eyes falling back to sleep.

He'd have to have a talk with Doctor Crusher in the morning about this. Placing her back under the covers, Riker gave her one last kiss goodnight and left the room to go to his own bed. These 2 a.m. feedings and night checks were going to have him beat to the pulp by the end of the week.

* * *

"Jessica has Ryerson Syndrome, Will. You see this? Some of the Alveoli in her left lung aren't functioning properly. Six or seven of them are disconnected, as if they'd been severed by something. This syndrome is fairly new. There have only been a handful of cases involving children over the last 20 years. Some more severe and others less. Jessica has the mild form."

Riker stroked my beard in thought.

"Is it some sort of genetic disorder?"

Beverly shook her head no at him.

"Test results have been a bit murky on that plane of thought. I'd like to run some more tests to find out. I'd like to take a lung tissue sample from you, and a blood sample from Jessica. With your permission of course."

Riker started to sweat a little when she mentioned him.

"Of course. Wait a minute, you want to take a lung tissue sample from me?"

She nodded and smiled.

"Relax Will. It won't hurt a bit. It's not like it was three centuries ago where I'd be sticking a 30 gauge needle into the side of your chest between your second and third ribs, through the muscle tissue and into your lung to get a sample."

He gave a nervous laugh.

"That's comforting."

It was quick and painless for Riker, and for Jessica. He pulled Beverly aside and whispered in her ear.

"Thomas left both the girls to me in his will. He said he wouldn't trust his children's well-being with anyone else but me. Anything else I should be worried about?"

Beverly shook her head no again and gave a small smile.

"Ryerson Syndrome is the only thing you have to worry about with her. I meant to ask you, how was the girls first night? Did Jessica get settled in alright?"

Riker nodded his head and smiled brightly.

"The first thing Jessica asked me when we got back to my quarters was: "Daddy can you make me some potato pancakes? So I made her some potato pancakes. I don't know how long it'd been since she'd eaten, but she ate four of them! She was very confused about where all her toys were, and that my quarters were different than they used to be.

I had to replicate her a bed and Erica a crib. I don' know how new fathers do it, but I was up every couple of hours feeding Erica. I've been giving her 4oz."

Riker looked at Jessica who was playing with her stuffed dog Spot. She was oblivious to what was going on around her.

"So you know Will, her symptoms will range from barely noticeable as in what looks like simple congestion from a cold, the beginning stages of what looks like an Asthma attack, pieces of what looks like Pertussis or the worst one of all, allergic reaction with closing of the throat. Watch her carefully. It can happen at any time."

Riker nodded his head seriously. Jessica smiled up at Riker and held up Spot to show him.

"See daddy, Spot isn't scared, and Jessie isn't either. When can we see mommy?"

She'd forgotten what he'd told her last night when he put her to bed.

"Jessica sweetheart, do you remember what daddy told you last night about what happened to mommy? She's in a special place, and I'm sure she's thinking about you right now."

Jessica smiled and pretended Spot was shaking her hand.

"And you too daddy?"

Riker gave her a gentle smile.

"Daddy too."

He was somewhat relieved when Deanna walked in.

"I thought I might find you here. Hello Jessica. My name is Deanna. Do you want to talk about what happened to your mommy?"

Jessica shook her head no and stuck her thumb in her mouth, and hid behind Riker's back.

"No. I want daddy."

Deanna only smiled at Jessica and stood up.

"I've got toys in my office you can play with. It's really fun. I promise your daddy can come too."

Jessica smiled and nodded her head, slowly coming out from behind Riker's back. But still holding onto his leg.

"Spot can come too?"

Deanna smiled more as she saw Jessica hold up Spot so that she could see him.

"Of course Spot can come too. He's a very pretty brown dog."

Riker pulled Deanna aside for a moment, "Doctor Crusher was examining Erica, probably taking a blood sample from her too, make sure she doesn't have the same condition as Jessica.

I just found out that Jessica has Ryerson Syndrome. She had a symptom pop up in the middle of nowhere at 2 a.m. and then vanished a few seconds later. I don't mind challenges, but this is my biggest challenge yet, taking care of a toddler and a newborn."

Deanna gave Riker's shoulder a squeeze and held out her hand for Jessica to take. She slowly took Deanna's hand and smiled up brightly at her. Jessica turned her head back at Riker.

"Daddy, don't forget Erica."

Riker laughed a little, and reached onto the bio bed and tucked Erica safely into his arms. She was fast asleep. When in the hallway, Riker could tell they were getting various stares from other crew members, but he ignored them. Once in Deanna's office, Riker saw Jessica launch herself at the toys, though not as fast as he thought she would. Deanna was the first to notice.

"Will, she's not very steady on her feet. She looks as if she just learned how to walk not that long ago. How old did you say she was again?"

Riker looked at Jessica and smiled when he saw her sitting in a pile of stuffed animals, and all he could see was her head.

"3 years and 3 days. She turned 2 while still on-board the London. Could be some sort of delay. I'll have to check my log entries."

Jessica smiled brightly at Deanna and snuggled into the stuffed animals.

"Looks like you've made some new friends."

She laughed at Deanna and snuggled into the stuffed animals some more.

"Jessie likes stuff aminals."

The more Riker got to know Jessica, the more she wiggled her way into his heart. Erica was becoming squirmy. She was sleepy.

"You can put Erica in the crib over there. There are a lot of babies on this ship and I keep one in here just in case it's needed. Infants need a lot of sleep.

Riker gently placed Erica into the crib and she drifted off to sleep. He was beat, but he had two children to take care of. They were a priority. Jessica was sitting in Riker's lap now, with her head against his chest. Deanna looked at Jessica and nodded her head.

"Are you sleepy now Jessica?"

Riker watched as she nodded her head against his chest.

"Jessie wanna go night-night."

Riker pushed some hair out of her face and kissed her forehead.

"Just close your eyes."

Jessica nodded her head and closed her eyes, sticking her thumb in her mouth. Riker gently took her hand away from her mouth. He listened to Deanna's voice.

"Ok Jessica. What does your mommy look like?"

Jessica clung to Riker and smiled.

"Mommy has long brown hair and green eyes. She's wearing a blue dress."

She was shaking in Riker's arms and crying now.

"It's ok to be sad Jessica. What happened next?"

Jessica clung to Riker tighter.

"Mommy got stuck under beam on Londo. She had owies in her tummy, so Ewica came early. Daddy came to save me. Mommy flew away to a special place."

Deanna nodded her head.

"You can open your eyes now Jessica. When I count to three you can open your eyes. One, two, three. Open your eyes."

Jessica opened up her eyes and clung to Riker. She didn't want to let go.

"Daddy, can Jessie sleep with you tonight?"

How could he say no to that face? Her big green eyes and Riker's brown hair, his brothers hair and his eyes. Not his. Riker wondered if his brother held her like this before she went to sleep every night.

To Be Continued


	3. Separation Anxiety

_**Chapter 3: Separation Anxiety**_

Author: zeusfluff.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Star Trek: TNG characters. But I do own a few originals. Enjoy!

"I get to see where you work daddy?"

Jessica was such an inquisitive child, Riker didn't know what to say at times. Smiling, he picked her up and kissed her forehead. The turbolift had stopped and the doors were open, the bridge in plain sight.

"Daddy, has to work now ok? I'll see you and Erica soon."

Riker set her down on the floor of the turbo lift, as he tried to exit, she grabbed onto his leg and didn't let go.

"No daddy! Don't leave Jessie! Jessie and Ewica no wanna be alone! Pwease daddy! Jessie no wanna be alone! Pwease daddy! Pwease! Pwease don't go!"

Riker picked Jessica up and gave her to Deanna who'd been in the turbolift with him the whole way. Deanna was doing her best to calm Jessica down.

"Jessica, your daddy has to go to work now, but you know what, I'll go back to the nursery with you and Erica and play awhile. Does that sound like fun?"

Jessica shook her head no at Deanna and tried to climb into Riker's arms.

"No! No! No! I want daddy!"

No matter how heartbreaking it was to hear her cry like that, Riker had to keep going. There were no children allowed on the bridge.

"Deanna just take her to the nursery. I'll come and check in on her and Erica in a little while."

Riker sighed as the turbolift closed behind him and stepped onto the bridge.

"Second meltdown this morning. Raising a toddler and a newborn is hard, especially by yourself captain. I never thought raising a child would be this challenging, let alone two."

This was going to be a long morning.

"Daddy!"

Jessica made her way over towards Riker. Her smile bright as the sun in our solar system.

"You are supposed to be taking a nap young lady."

She shook her head no at him.

"No daddy. Jessie's not sleepy. No nap."

Riker shook his head and watched as she climbed into his lap.

"Well, what are we going to do with little Miss Jessica? If Jessie doesn't go to sleep, how is she going to grow up to be big and strong like daddy?"

Jessica nodded her head yes and stuck her thumb in her mouth, sucking on it. I took her hand away from her mouth and watched her snuggle against my chest.

"Yes daddy."

Deanna pulled up a chair beside Riker and watched Jessica sleep.

"See now this is how I like to see Will Riker. The strong, paternal type. You're really good with her. So I heard that Thomas left the girls to you. I wouldn't want any one more qualified than you to take care of these children. Jessica doesn't know the difference though, between you and her real father. To her, you are her daddy."

Riker smiled at Deanna and then down at Jessica. She was trying to burrow herself into his uniform.

"Thomas has been doing this with her since she was born. Holding her like this until she falls asleep."

Deanna smiled and pushed a strand of hair out of Jessica's face.

"That's natural for her to do that. You see, in the womb, it's warm and safe, and when they enter the world, usually the first person they get attached to is their mother. By smell and sound. But since her mother isn't here, she chooses you. You are her safety net Will.

She's experiencing separation anxiety. She feels that when you leave her, you won't come back. Now we don't know how long she was alone with her mother on the London, but she was in the room when her mother passed. You'll have to help her through this."

Jessica had buried her head into Riker's chest and stuck her thumb back into her mouth.

"Deanna, she's 3 years old. How am I going to possibly explain to her that I'm not her father, but I am? There's still so much I have to learn about parenting. In the past month I've been sleeping lightly because I've been waking up every four hours to feed Erica and to check on Jessica. I've gone so far as to replicate one of those ancient child-monitoring radios, a baby monitor. One little sound, the slightest deviation of her breathing and I'm in that room like a bolt of lightning. I wish there were a cure for Ryerson Syndrome."

Riker felt good that he was venting to someone else. Deanna was always his right wing when it came down to the issues. Except for his father. He was always someone Riker didn't like to talk about, though Deanna knew about his rocky relationship with one another.

"I'm glad you're getting this out Will. I've been feeling that you are rather tense lately. Your body language has be radiating off you in waves. I think others of the crew are starting to feel it. They feel on edge. Jessica is a beautiful little girl. She looks just like you Will. Whether you'd like to admit it or not, you and Thomas are one and the same. He may have come to life through a transporter malfunction but, he was you Will."

Did the bags under his eyes really give that much away? Riker's sleeping patterns were out of whack.

"Is it really that obvious that I'm tired? I'm doing the best I can raising these two, I'm just not exactly sure how to raise a special needs child and a newborn. I'll have to learn along the way."

Deanna smiled and put a hand on Riker's own.

"I happen to know you are doing a wonderful job being a parent to both these children. Jessica adores you, and Erica already has her little hand wrapped around your index finger. I'd be happy to help you out on my days off. Are you having any luck potty training Jessica?"

Riker shook his head no.

"I've been doing my best, but she won't go. I don't think she's ready. I've been reading that some children aren't ready until three. And in rare cases 4 years old. What would you suggest to help Jessica overcome her separation anxiety?"

Riker carefully set Jessica down on a mat on the floor. She was fast asleep. He pulled a teacher aside for a second.

"When was Jessica's diaper changed?"

The teacher smiled at Riker and shook his hand.

"No worries commander. 20 minutes ago. I'll check to see if she's wet when she wakes up."

Nodding his head, Riker made his way over to Erica who was fussing in the plastic basinet. Picking her up, he supported her head.

"Look at those baby blues, you have daddy's eyes. Look at that face. You are sleepy aren't you? No, hungry I'd think. Here, let's get you a bottle."

Erica ate from the bottle as if she hadn't eaten in days. She was up to a little more than 6oz of milk. Riker always came prepared. A burp rag lay resting against his left shoulder. It was 20 minutes before she was finished with her meal.

Riker leaned her up against his shoulder and patted her back. He heard a wet burp and lay her back in his arms.

"Oh sweetheart, you've got an upset tummy. Too much milk at once. Daddy will have to remember that for next time."

Deanna smiled down at Erica and brushed a finger along her marble white cheek.

"Look at you with her. And you were afraid you'd drop her the first few days after she was born. You notice her crying is starting to change now. Brand new babies have a certain sound to them, but Erica is starting to sound like most infants.

As for the question about Jessica and her separation anxiety, all I can offer you is this: take it one step at a time. One day at a time and she'll eventually see that you working isn't so bad. I'm wondering if Thomas spent most of his time carrying her around and playing with her.

I've got an idea, tomorrow I'm off duty, which coincides with your day off, let's look up his service record in the computer banks. Might provide some clues."

There were still so many mysteries clouding his brother Thomas' death.

To Be Continued...


	4. More CluesTruths

_**Chapter 4: More Clues/Truths**_

Author: zeusfluff.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Star Trek: TNG characters. But I do own a few originals. Enjoy!

"Computer, access all audio and video recorded files for: Riker, Thomas"

Deanna sat down in a chair next to Riker so that she could see the screen. The computer came up with a video file.

"Video and audio files accessed."

Pressing play, Riker watched his brother as he held an extremely tiny baby that barely fit in his hand.

_"__This tiny baby you see here is my first-born Jessica Ann Riker. Born breech and 5.5 weeks early. Morgan and I aren't sure if she'll make it, but Jessica has a strong will of her own."__  
_  
Riker found himself almost in tears. He felt Deanna's hand on his shoulder.

"Jessica is a strong and beautiful little girl. She was born early, but look at her now, you'd never know. She's a happy little girl. Let's try another file."

Nodding his head, Riker straightened out his uniform shirt and flipped through another video on the screen.

"Jessica is 3 months old. She should be able to hold her head up on her own. She should also be crawling by now. Doctor Santowson said not to worry about it, since she was born almost 6 weeks early. Here I thought prematurity had gone the way of the dinosaurs. She said the delays wouldn't affect her too much, that she would just learn at a later age."

Riker stopped the video and went to the next one. His brother looked tired, and he hadn't shaved in a few days.

_"__Jessica had what looked like an allergic reaction this morning at 01:20 hours and stopped breathing for almost two minutes. Doctor Santowson informs Morgan and I that Jessica has Ryerson Syndrome. There is no cure for this syndrome, but Doctor Santowson is looking at all the evidence and is working diligently."_

Riker turned the computer screen off and slammed his hand on the table in front of him.

"He knew! He knew Jessica had Ryerson Syndrome and he didn't let me know in his will!"

Deanna placed her hand on Riker's own, which was in his lap.

"Will let's just calm down for a moment. He sounded like he was surprised. Let's look at another log. Looking through his eyes, is really looking at yourself Will."

Riker sighed, he had the girls to think about. They needed him.

"You're right. The girls need me. I am their father after all, and they've just lost their mother. Jessica asked me this morning if we could play hide and seek on the holodeck. I told her that we would play as soon as I got her from the nursery. I'm not sure what to do about how she's acting towards Erica though."

Deanna looked at Riker for a moment.

"How is she acting? Is she happy? Afraid?"

Riker shook his head, she was experiencing neither of those emotions.

"Actually if I didn't know any better, I'd say she was jealous of her little sister. She's become very clingy. She wants to be with me every minute of the day. Like yesterday for example: I was feeding Erica her breakfast and Jessica looks me square in the eye and says: Erica's full, Jessie's turn to be with daddy."

It was hard juggling taking care of Erica and keeping up with Jessica. But Riker loved every minute of it. They were his children.

"Do your best to explain to her that Erica needs to have time with you too. The separation anxiety will disappear as time goes by. You just have to keep reassuring her."

Riker rubbed a hand over his face and went to the next video log entry. Now there was a wide smile on his brothers face.

_"__Jessica took her first steps today, and all on her birthday. To think six months ago she was just learning how to hold her head up. She's doing better eating solids. Three months ago, I had to puree her food."_

Riker paused the video when his communicator beeped.

"Sickbay to Commander Riker, please respond."

Riker tapped his communicator and looked up at the ceiling.

"Riker here."

There was a pit in his stomach that wouldn't dissolve.

"Commander, your daughter Jessica is having a seizure."

Riker stood up and tapped his commbadge.

"I'm on my way doctor."

Riker looked to Deanna with a concerned look on his face, but quickly replaced it with a determined one.

"Don't worry Will, I'll watch over Erica until Jessica is stabilized. Go to her. She needs you."

Riker nodded his head and went out the door. By the time he got to sickbay, he was having trouble hiding his worry. He stayed out of the way while Doctor Crusher and the nurses were doing their best to stabilize Jessica.

"I don't like the sound of her breathing. Make sure she doesn't swallow her tongue."

The pit in Riker's stomach seemed to grow bigger the longer this went on. Swallowing, he approached the bed slowly. His voice cracked as he spoke to her.

"Daddy is right here baby. Just rest."

He looked away, but got his bearings back and pulled down on his uniform shirt. Turning around, he watched as Doctor Crusher gave Jessica a hypospray. Jessica's tiny body stopped jerking and she looked as if she were sleeping. Beverly let out a sigh of relief.

"Doctor what happened?"

Beverly shook her head and continued scanning Jessica.

"The teacher from the nursery called me. She turned her back for a second to get her some juice and the next thing she knows, Jessica's on the floor seizing. I'm still running tests, but this definitely wasn't random. I'm not sure what to tell you right now Will. She's stable for now. She'll be a little disoriented at first. My best advice, take this one step at a time."

It was another ten minutes before Jessica opened up her eyes. She became frightened and began to thrash. Her thrashing caused her to bounce off the bio-bed. Riker's quick thinking and reflexes helped him catch Jessica's falling form.

"It's ok honey, daddy's got you. I've got you."

At first, all she did was scream at the top of her lungs in Riker's arms. But then she realized that she was alright, and her screaming was reduced to quiet hiccups. Beverly had gone to get something to calm her down. Jessica's little tears made Riker's heart skip a beat as he watched her fall to sleep in his arms. She was trying to burrow herself into his uniform shirt again.

"Will I've got something to help calm her. Oh."

A soft smile spread across Beverly's face.

"You've just added a strong and gentle touch to fatherhood Will."

Riker scooted onto a bio-bed with Jessica asleep in his arms, hiccups wracking her tiny body every few minutes. He looked to Beverly and gave a sad smile.

"I didn't know how bad things were for my brother. Jessica was 5.5 weeks premature. She didn't learn to roll over, hold her head up, or crawl until she was a year and a half. She didn't start eating solids until just two weeks before her second birthday. Before that, he had to puree everything for her because she had trouble chewing and swallowing. She learned how to walk for the first time on her second birthday. She's only been walking for a year. What other things could she possibly be delayed in?"

Jessica went still in Riker's arms suddenly, limp in fact. Her eyes were shut, but there was no rapid eye movement to indicate she was in REM sleep. Swallowing, he tried coaxing her to open up her eyes.

"Jessica honey, open your eyes for daddy. Let me see those pretty green eyes. Beverly, she's not breathing."

Beverly took Jessica from Riker's arms and placed her on top of the bio-bed once he hopped off it. He took deep breaths to hold back the tears that were threatening to overcome him. Then his mood changed. He was angry at the universe. How could the universe do this to him? He was angry in general as he watched Beverly work on Jessica. His thoughts began to race and then rested on the one person that could've possibly been responsible for this, to inflict pain. Q.

"Q, if this was you're doing, I demand you show yourself at once!"

Q showed up in a flash of light, feigning irritation.

"Yes Riker, what's on your miniscule mind? I was in the middle of something rather important, nothing you puny humans could comprehend."

Riker's eyes held fire in them, and it took every ounce of strength and willpower he had to not launch himself at Q and go for his throat.

"YOU BRING MY BABY BACK RIGHT NOW! YOU TAKE HER FROM ME, AND YOU TAKE ME TOO! BRING HER BACK!?"

Q seemed amused at how infuriated Riker was.

"You amuse me Riker at how easily you become angry these days since becoming a daddy. I don't see the reason why human father's mourn and grieve for their children after their gone. The Q don't experience such things. We simply turn into pure energy and are absorbed into the continuum."

Riker stared at Q, as was his fashion, he was dressed in costume. Late 19th century military uniform.

"The uniform you're wearing. Late 19th century military attire of the Mexican Army. Nicolas Bravo. One of the commanders during the Mexican-American war. He was a prisoner of war during the Battle of Chapultepec Castle in Mexico City. Q, you are trying distract me from the real issue here! Bring my daughter back now!?"

Q's smug look never left his face.

"Oh no can do Riker. This child as you call her, was living on borrowed time. But I do have her as a bargaining chip. You must do me a favor. Let's play a game shall we?"

Riker rolled his eyes and stepped closer to Q, everything was always a game to him. For his amusement, but this had gone too far.

"Its always a game with you isn't it? What is it this time?"

Q's smile spread even farther up his face, it was almost unnatural. It was as if he'd had the Cheshire cat's smile from Alice and Wonderland planted on his face.

Isn't it obvious? Look around you Riker. The game has already begun."

Riker spun around, trying to take in his surroundings. He was no longer in sickbay, and this place certainly wasn't the Enterprise. He was surrounded by green trees and rolling hills. In front of him stood a sprawling castle. A young man approached Riker and was out of breath, he saluted him before asking him what his orders were for him.

"General, American forces are storming the castle. What are your orders for me?"

Riker looked down at his clothes, he was wearing the same uniform that Q had been wearing. On his head was a hat the same color. He'd have to inspect it a little later.

"Your orders? What's your name again?"

Riker realized now the young man was a teenager, he couldn't have been more than 14, a little younger than Wesley.

"General Bravo, I am Francisco Marquez, cadet of the Military Academy of Mexico. Now general, what are your orders for me?"

It was apparent this young man wasn't going anywhere until Riker gave him orders.

"My orders to you are to stay put until I give the signal to charge is that clear cadet?"

Francisco nodded his head at Riker and ran for the nearest bush with his gun, a bayonet attached to it.

"Yes general."

Riker could hear canons in the distance and shouting. Q appeared next to him suddenly, a smirk on his face.

"So Riker, how do you like this little game? The point of this exercise is for you to get to the top of the castle before the Americans do and get down your native country's flag before they take it, and burn it. Or in this case, should I call you Nicolas Bravo. Look at yourself in the mirror for a moment."

A mirror appeared in Riker's hands suddenly and he found that he no longer looked like himself. He was clean-shaven and very tan. He rolled his eyes at Q and tossed the mirror aside.

"Is this what the soldiers see? Or is the rest of the crew here to see who I really am?"

Q made a noise between a laugh and a snort.

"Oh that's seven years bad luck Riker, you just broke a mirror. As for your fellow crewmates, they are here, I believe Doctor Crusher is around here somewhere. A few kilometers away treating some of the wounded."

Q disappeared again in a flash as Riker scanned the soldiers. He found Beverly quickly. She was tending to a man who'd just lost his leg. Riker approached her.

"Beverly, where is everyone?"

Beverly was startled at first, but found that it was Riker.

"I thought I saw Troi 2 kilometers from here. There are others here too, the captain I saw over that ridge over there to your left. According to the calendar in this tent, its September 8th 1848. Is that date important?"

Riker nodded his head yes.

"Yes very important. It goes down as the day in history when the American's marched into Mexico City and stormed their military academy and fortress. Essentially annexing it. Q gave me the task of trying to reach the Mexican flag flying on the flag pole at the top of the castle. I'll see what I can do, because according to Q, I'm playing the part of Nicolas Bravo, he was a Prisoner of War."

To Be Continued...


	5. A Quest of Utmost Importance

_**Chapter 5: A Quest of Utmost Importance**_

Author: zeusfluff

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Star Trek: TNG characters. But I do own a few originals. Enjoy!

September 8th, 1848 14:53 p.m.  
Siege of Chapultepec Castle  
Mexico, Mexico

Riker stared up at the top of the flag pole with the Mexican flag waving in the breeze. He'd given the order to charge at the castle. Soldiers from his regiment were flooding over the castle walls, he had to get to the top of the castle without getting caught by the other side.

He climbed over the castle wall and made his way towards the inside. He was halfway up the stairs inside the castle, when men in uniform and U.S. pins adorned them surrounded him.

"Nicolas Bravo, you are a Prisoner of War under the 22nd regiment of the United States army."

Riker took off in a dead sprint up the stairs as fast as he could, knowing full well that the American soldiers were hot on his tail. He was now on the spiral staircase that lead up to the tower where the flag pole was.

Reaching the outside and now at the top of the tower, Riker was in reach of the flag. Just as he was getting the flag down, a soldier from behind enemy lines jumped him and he fell to the ground hard, almost dropping the flag.

Riker kicked the other soldier and managed to knock him over, stuffing the flag inside his uniform shirt. Another man pulled Riker up by the collar of the uniform and began patronizing him.

"Do you speak English?"  
Riker nodded his head yes.

"Of course I do."

But the soldier, who was highly decorated shook his head.

"No? Well maybe I should explain it like this!"

Riker felt a hard smack across his face. His cheek was now stinging.

"What was that for!"

The highly decorated man in front of Riker shook his head and looked around at his men.

"Look around you General Bravo, your fortress to this sprawling city has fallen into U.S. hands."

In the distance Riker could hear the march of the Mexican battle cry as drums beat and soldiers kept advancing on the U.S. soldiers occupying the castle. His eyes cast towards the sky and saw that the American flag was flying atop the castle flagpole.

If this were any other situation but this, Riker would really take the time to admire the hard work the people of this land put into this castle. Such opulence.

Riker's breath caught in his throat when two other soldiers, less decorated than he would say, either general or admiral in front of him, came with Deanna, who was struggling to get out of their grips. One was holding a bayonet up against her throat. She'd put all her cards down on the table, Riker knew the next one she was going to play.

"Please don't hurt me, I'm carrying a child."

Riker gave her a surprised look. He didn't expect her to fake that. Riker balled his fists as the general in front of him set him back on his feet and dusted him off. Another soldier just behind him, he was using as a translator.

"Sir, she says she's with child. I don't think it's wise to hurt her."

The general turned to the nameless soldier behind him. Then he turned back to Riker, he did the only thing he could to protect her.

"I am the father of that child, and she is my wife."

The translator looked at Riker with a slack face and translated what he said.

"He says sir, that he's the father of the child, and she is his wife."

Riker wasn't sure what was going happen next, but he had to protect Deanna at all costs. They were now back inside the castle and were being tied to a couple of chairs in what he guessed could've been a living area once upon a time. The general was outside and the other soldiers were in the other room. Riker whispered into Deanna's left ear.

"Where did you come up with a way for them not to hurt you?"

Deanna tried reaching over and squeezing my hand.

"It was a saying women would say on Earth in the early twenty-first century if there was a home invasion and the burglar were to try and harm them. They would usually leave the woman alone and take what they wanted and leave."

Riker looked at her concerned. She was out of breath. He managed to put a hand on hers.

"What's wrong? You alright?"

Deanna shook her head no.

"I don't get what the fascination in this time frame is with corsets. I can't breathe. I feel like I'm going to pass out."

Her eyes fluttered closed for a moment, and Riker patted her hand to help keep her awake.

"Stay with me Imzadi. We'll get out of this. I promise. From what I read, and what I remember, women in this time frame suffered this condition a lot. What we need is a hand fan. Maybe one of these soldiers can somehow procure one for us."

Riker looked around the grand living area. There were a lot of different antiques around, a dining table sat in the corner with real silver eating utensils and crystal glass, china plates completed the set.

There were various bottles of Tequila lying around, some half-empty, some untouched. Those bottles would be of some use to Beverly, if Riker could find her. They would be good use in disinfection.

Finally, Riker's eyes landed on a hand fan on a side table by another entryway to the room, coming from the East. He pulled on the ropes, but the tighter he pulled to free himself, the tighter they seemed to get. Riker realized though that he should stop struggling, because the more he tried to get free, the tighter the rope was becoming around Deanna too. She looked back at me with bleary eyes.

"Can't breathe Too tight."

Riker had to act now, she was very close to losing consciousness. He held his breath as a soldier came into the room. He looked to him and spoke up.

"My wife is overheated, could I have that hand fan over there? I'm begging you, please, she can't breathe."

It was the translator, Riker could see in his eyes he felt sorry for Deanna. Nodding his head he went over to the side table and grabbed for the fan. He carefully opened it and started to fan her.

In a flash, they were back on the Enterprise. Riker was back in his uniform. There was something under his uniform shirt but his attention was back on the bio bed where Jessica lie. Doctor Crusher was scanning her. Deanna was lying unconscious on another bio-bed nearby and Erica was asleep in a basinet a few meters away.

"Doctor how is she? Jessica? Is she?"

Q appeared, still in uniform. A smirk on his face. Riker wasn't too happy to see him.

"Ah Riker, you've completed your task. You captured the flag and saved your little family. Genius wording Troi used. Who would've thought she still had feelings for you. As my gift of generosity and love to you, I've eliminated any abnormalities your oldest bundle of joy had before our little game. You also get to keep the flag. Tell the heroic story to your daughter about how you climbed to the top of a castle and reach for a flag to save her life."

Riker snorted, Q was throwing his voice for dramatic effect. Without so much as another word, he was gone. Sighing in relief, I went back to Jessica who was just waking up. I watched as she took a deep breath in and start to cry. I closed my eyes and listened for a minute.

"That's my girl, let daddy her that strong cry."

She looked to Riker and held her arms out, she was scared.

"Daddy!"

Riker sat down on the bio-bed next to her and scooped her up in his arms. As always, she tried to burrow herself into his uniform shirt. He had to admit, she was tiny for her age. She was asleep now, her breathing leveling out.

His eight hours of terror had ended, and now Riker had his daughter back safely. Once he was sure she was completely asleep, he set her back down on the bio-bed. He wanted nothing more than to watch her sleep. Beverly was now examining Deanna. Riker made my way over towards her, and placed his hand in hers.

"You should have heard what Deanna said to General Winfield Scott. In fact you should have heard what we both said. She said in order to protect herself from being harmed: Please don't hurt me, I'm carrying a child. To protect her from the soldiers who meant her harm I said: I am the father of that child, and she is my wife. I guess a piece of me never let her go. I do still love her. Deep down, I know she still feels the same way about me. She just hasn't admitted it to me yet. How is she?"

Beverly gave me a warm smile and patted Riker's shoulder.

"She's doing fine. What is that bulge under your uniform shirt?"

Riker smiled back at her and pulled the colorful fabric out from under his shirt.

"Oh this. 19th century Mexican flag. A keepsake from Q surprisingly, for saving Jessica. Deanna was very brave. But when we were captured, she almost lost consciousness. I don't see how corsets were in fashion in the mid-19th century. I had to use one of those hand fans to keep her conscious. So what do the scans show doctor? How is Jessica?"

Beverly looked at Riker seriously at first, but it faltered and she smiled once again.

"Q did hold up his end of the bargain. There's nothing wrong with Jessica. She no longer has Ryerson Syndrome. Before this all went down, I found that there were several genetic sequences missing from Jessica's DNA. Those missing sequences are no longer missing. From all accounts, Jessica is a very healthy little girl."

Riker went back over to Jessica and smiled down at her sleeping form. She smiled in her sleep and reached out. He listened to her speak softly.

"Mama."

Riker's heart broke when she called out to her mother, she dreamed about her most nights. He wondered where she got her dark brown curly hair. She had his hair color but he didn't know where she got the curls. Pure ringlets. Even when he gave her a bath the ringlets always came back when her hair dried.

"I don't know how exactly to help her deal with this. I keep doing my best to explain to her that her mother isn't here. I told her that she was an angel and that she flew away to heaven. I tried to explain it to her at her level. Not easy. I'm not exactly sure what I'm supposed to do about her potty training. She won't go."

Beverly gave Riker a warm smile and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"She'll go when she's ready Will. Every child is different. Wesley was three before he was completely potty-trained. My point is, to keep trying."

Riker nodded his head and pushed some curls out of her face.

"Who knew that three-years old would bring tantrums and endless energy?"

Beverly laughed and looked at Jessica.

"Will, the endless energy is just beginning. Just wait until you try and get her into a bath. You'll be chasing her around your quarters."

Riker shook his head and watched as Jessica took a breath and yawned.

"I think she's getting a new tooth. Her teeth have been really slow coming in."

Riker's family was safe, but he had to keep my eye out for Q, he could take back his bargain at any time. So he had to be ready.

To Be Continued...


	6. Custody Battle

_**Chapter 6: Custody Battle**_

Author: zeusfluff.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Star Trek: TNG characters. But I do own a few originals. Enjoy!

* * *

"I have some news Will. There's a woman who sent you a subspace message. She says she's Jessica and Erica's grandmother. She's the mother of Morgan Jansen-Riker."

Riker's heart was in his throat. Beverly wasn't serious was she?

"Why would she contact me now after all this time? Thomas left the girls to me. He didn't mention anything about Morgan's parents."

Beverly shook her head at Riker and smiled.

"Jessica is one hundred percent healthy. You can take her home now."

Riker nodded his head and helped her hop down from the bio-bed. Scooping Erica up in his arms, he headed out of Sickbay and towards the turbo lift. Jessica looked at Riker and smiled.

"Daddy, Grandma Rosie called you?"

Riker kept his smile on for Jessica's sake. His heart was breaking and sinking at the same time.

"Daddy has to see what grandma says. Maybe she's coming for a visit."

A lump began to form in his throat. He didn't like this situation. What if it was a trap? When the three of them got back to their quarters, he sent Jessica to play in her room.

"Jessica honey, why don't you go play in your room for a while. Daddy has to talk to grandma alone. Then I'll let you talk to her ok?"

Jessica nodded her head and scurried off to her room to find Spot.

"Spot! Where are you? Come out to play!"

Riker shook his head and laughed as the doors to her room closed behind her. Erica whined a little. Sniffing the air, Riker scrunched up his nose.

"Someone needs their diaper changed."

Wow. How could babies leave this much waste and eat so little? How could sixteen ounces of milk produce all this? He carefully cleaned Erica up and put a new diaper on her. She whined even more.

"I know you're hungry. Let daddy make you a bottle. Computer 16 oz of milk please."

Riker sighed and tried not to grit his teeth.

"Please specify. Yaks milk, Goats milk..."

Riker interrupted the computer.

"Human."

Shaking his head he reached for the bottle once it materialized in the replicator slot. Erica's face was beet red and she was screaming her head off now. He rocked her a little and then placed the nipple of the bottle into her mouth.

She began to coo as she ate. Sitting down, Riker watched as she ate. Her little jaw was moving so fast. he sat and watched her for 20 minutes before she started to get blinky. Taking the bottle away, he placed it in the replicator slot.

"Let's get all that gas out of that little tummy and then its nap time for you."

Now that her little tummy was settled Riker placed her in the crib at the foot of the bed. She'd grown too big for the basinet so he had to replicate her a crib. Riker found it prudent to put her in the same room as him because Jessica slept through her cries.

She slept like a doornail. Nothing woke her. No pillows in her crib, only a blanket to cover her with. Once Riker was sure she was comfortable and sleeping, he went over to the computer at the kitchen table. Turning it on, he found the face of a wrinkled gray-haired almost white-haired woman adorn my screen. Pressing play, Riker listened to the woman's voice on the screen.

"Thomas. I don't know why my daughter Morgan left the girls Jessica and Erica to you. She originally left them to Roger and I. We'll rendezvous at Starbase 96 to discuss the proceedings at the tribunal. Be ready with the girls. They will be joining Roger and I on our journey back to Earth where we will settle in the nation-state of Australia."

The screen went dark and Riker's heart broke even more. He'd just had the rug pulled from beneath him and he was struggling to find his footing again. Setting himself up right even though he was sitting stock-straight in my chair at the table. Riker's eyes wandered to the crib with Erica asleep in it. He'd fight tooth and nail to keep his girls with him.

Starbase 96

Riker had to admit he was nervous. He'd never met Rose and Roger Jansen, Morgan's parents. Deanna held Erica while he held Jessica's hand as she walked towards the room just next to where the tribunal was going to take place. Jessica's little legs still weren't so steady. Riker wondered how she would do on Earth. She had space legs.

Swallowing his fear, the door hissed open and they walked into the room. Riker felt like he was towering over Rose Jansen as he looked at her. She gave Riker a curt smile and nod of her head.

"Thomas. So you brought the girls. Heh, figures, you hook up with another woman. Shame on you. Can't you grieve for your wife before moving on?"

She burst into tears as she saw Jessica and Erica. But looked down at Jessica and got down to her level.

"What have you done to my granddaughter? Why does she walk like that? When did she learn how to walk? And when did you get promoted from Lieutenant to Commander? You've got some explaining to do."

Deanna kept her cool and rocked Erica a little. Riker also kept his cool and gave a smile.

"Jessica has only been walking for about a year. Erica was born onboard the U.S.S. Enterprise. I found Morgan under a couple of support beams aboard the London. Being trapped under the support beams caused her to go into pre-term labor. She passed away of massive internal bleeding five minutes after giving birth to Erica."

Rose wasn't giving Riker room to breathe. She went in and scooped Jessica up into her arms.  
"Say goodbye to daddy sweetheart. You and Erica are coming with Grandma Rosie and Grandpa Roger. You are going to live with us now, in the nation-state of Australia."

Jessica shook her head no and managed to get down from Rose's arms and wrap herself around Riker's right leg.

"No. Jessie stays with daddy. Ewica too. We don't wanna go with you Grandma Rosie."  
This was a set-up. They'd never intended a tribunal at all. Roger handed Riker a padd with written proof that they could legally take Jessica and Erica away from him. Riker hurried through it.

"From the Starfleet JAG officer at Starbase 96, I hereby revoke all parental privileges and rights of the sole petitioner Thomas Riker, to Rose and Roger Jansen. You are seen as an unfit parent and are to surrender the children immediately upon arrival at base.

Regards,  
Nora Wentrall  
Family Support JAG officer

Riker shook his head and looked the both of them.

"What is this? What is this supposed to mean? I'm an unfit parent for doing what exactly? I play with them, I feed them, I bathe them, I take care of them. During the day they go to the nursery on deck 11 on the Enterprise. While I go to work. When I get off, I go and get them from the nursery, we go back to my quarters, I feed them dinner. Jessica and I play for awhile and Erica gets some floor time. Does that make me an unfit parent?"

Rose only glared at Riker and scooped Jessica back up in her arms. She fought her tooth and nail, grabbing onto Riker's arm.

"No daddy, Jessie's a good girl!"

Riker was completely powerless as he watched Roger take Erica from Deanna's arms. A lump began to form in Riker's throat. Q hadn't honored their agreement, Jessica still had Ryerson Syndrome. Rose lowered Jessica to the ground. The allergic reaction symptom always scared Riker. Deanna knew exactly who to get.

"I'll go get her Thomas."

Riker swallowed the lump in his throat and cradled Jessica in his arms. He could see inside her tiny mouth that her throat was swollen and air wasn't able to pass through. He tilted her head up a little so that her airway would open up. To no avail. Deanna was quick in finding Beverly.

"What happened?"

Swallowing again Riker watched as Doctor Crusher pulled a hypo-spray from her med-kit and pressed it against Jessica's neck.

"She just collapsed and started gasping for air."

She began to scan Jessica as her breath began to come out more evenly.

"Ok, inflammation is going down. What she needs is rest. Who are you?"

She pointed her question at Rose and Roger. Rose gave a snort.

"We are Jessica and Erica's grandparents. Thomas has the documentation that says we have legal precedent and legal right to take these children from him."

Beverly tried to hide her confused expression.

"I'm sorry, on what grounds?"

Rose gave another snort as she scooped Jessica up into her arms once more. She was now asleep.

"Thomas is an unfit father. Now down to business, is there any valid medical reason she needs to stay here? We have all we need to take care of her on the Herald. She'll be well cared for, I assure you."

Beverly seemed baffled by these two.

"No of course not."

The two began to walk down the hallway leaving them behind.

"Will, these are bogus charges against you. They've never seen you take care of either of them. You are a wonderful father. Something doesn't sit right about this situation. Let's bring this to the captain's attention."

Riker was hopeful. Hope is what fueled him in his quest to get his little girls back.

To Be Continued...


	7. What the universe has stolen from me

_**Chapter 7: What the Universe has stolen from me**_

Author: zeusfluff.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Star Trek: TNG characters. But I do own a few originals. Enjoy!

* * *

Riker's hands were shaking. He wasn't even sure if this was real the news that had just been given to him. He was alone. But there was no time to grieve right now, Riker had to be on the bridge. Straightening out his uniform shirt, he ran a comb through his hair and exited his quarters.

As he proceeded down the hallway, the air was filled with a strange sort of weight. Riker wondered if others could feel it, or if it was just him. He gave only curt nods to other members of the crew as he passed them. When he got to the bridge and over towards his chair to the right of Captain Picard, Deanna picked up on his grief. Riker was barely holding it together. She then looked to the captain and spoke.

"If you don't mind Captain, I'd like to talk to Commander Riker in the Observation Lounge alone. It's of a personal nature, and I don't think it can wait."

Riker felt several eyes on him, including Data, but his were the only ones not holding sympathy. Androids didn't feel sympathy. Straightening out his uniform shirt again, Riker slowly followed Deanna into the Observation Lounge. He sunk into his chair and covered his face with his hands.

"How could the universe be so cruel Deanna?"

Riker felt a hand on his own and he lowered his hands to the table.

"What happened? Are the girls alright?"

Shaking his head no, Riker turned his attention out to the black of space, the stars twinkling like distant jewels.

"What the universe has stolen are my babies and all I want is them back! I received a subspace message from Roger Jansen. A Cardassian Warbird crossed the neutral zone, boarded the U.S.S. Hood and took out 35 people. Jessica and Erica got caught in the cross-fire. So did Rose Jansen, Roger Jansen's wife. I want to hold that Cardassian Warbird accountable for taking away my family! It isn't fair Imzadi."

Deanna pulled Riker into a hug. He let the tears fall for a couple of minutes before he composed himself. He saw something fuzzy and brown in his pants pocket, he pulled it out as Deanna and him went back onto the bridge. A sad smile crossed his face. Riker knew his eyes must be red, but he ignored it.

"Jessica left Spot behind. I should put him in her bed and have him wait for her until she comes home."

At the corner of his eye, RIker saw Deanna cross the bridge and over toward the captain. He saw her lean in and whisper in the captain's ear. His mouth formed into a grim line. He gave orders to Data while Riker waited for Deanna by the turbo-lift doors.

"Mr. Data, inform Starfleet that a Cardassian Warbird has crossed the Neutral Zone into Federation space and committed an act of war. There will be a service in Ten-Forward to honor the 35 men and women who fought bravely to defend the U.S.S. Hood. Two of the lost were Jessica and Erica Riker. We are saddened by the loss of them all. My deepest condolences Number One."

What Riker needed at the moment was to drown himself in some Scotch. His fists curled tightly and Jessica's stuffed dog Spot gave me little comfort. Deanna crossed the bridge and joined me in the turbo-lift.

"I need a drink. Wanna join me?"

She only put her hand on Riker's shoulder as he held the stuffed animal tighter and inhaled the scent of Jessica through his nostrils.

"I'll join you in Ten-Forward, but I don't think a drink would be appropriate right now Will. Drinking isn't going to solve the issue at hand. You have to face the grief. There are many different layers of grief, then comes the rage and anger that I know is just bubbling below that. What we need is to seek justice, not vengeance."

Deanna was Riker's support beams through all of this. His family had been wrongly taken from him.

"All I can think about is how Jessica kept calling out for me when they were taken from me. The both of us, should have just taken them from Rose and Roger. They would've been safe."

Deanna locked eyes with Riker as they entered Ten-Forward.

"It's alright Imzadi. I'm here for you. You don't have to go through this alone."

It was the first time Riker had seen tears grace her eyes. Jessica had impacted Deanna's life as much as she had impacted his own. Both the girls did. Riker set Jessica's stuffed dog Spot on the bar top as he signaled to Guinan.

"Scotch on the rocks. Make it a double."

She came back quickly with Riker's Scotch and smiled at the stuffed animal on the bar top.

"So who's your stuffed friend here"

Riker gave her half a sad smile and rearranged the stuffed dogs legs so that it looked as if he were sitting.

"My daughter Jessica's dog, Spot."

Riker quickly downed his Scotch and asked for another.

"If I may, and I hope I'm not prying, but I heard about what happened to your family. I'm so sorry commander. If you need another ear for listening, I'll be happy to help."

Riker regarded both women before him with a sad gaze.

"I just don't understand any of this. Why would a Cardassian Warship cross the Neutral Zone and attack a Federation ship? That's my question. I'm only seeking justice for my family not vengeance."

Shaking his head Riker downed another Scotch. He needed to unload all he was feeling. It was a mix of everything really.

"Just a week ago, Jessica was sitting at the kitchen table drawing purple butterflies and a big blue circle with green speckles on it. She said: daddy, are we gonna see Earth? I wanna see butterflies and snow. And I promised her: As soon as this trip is over, we'll take a vacation to Alaska. You'll see lots of snow up there. We can build a snowman and drink hot chocolate by the big fireplace in a log house called a log-cabin.

Erica was just learning to roll over. Her little dimples in her cheeks and her big beautiful green eyes. Her smile was something that cannot be duplicated. I would give anything to have them back."

Q appeared in a flash. His signature smirk had no effect on Riker. A dour look on his face he downed another Scotch.

"Humans. They drown their sorrows and tragedies in alcoholic beverages they invented on Earth. And no-can-do Riker. Unfortunately, this time I cannot bring back your precious baby girls. If the universe wants them, I have no right to interfere with its course of action."

Riker slammed the Scotch glass down onto the bar top and knocked over the stool he was sitting on and threw himself at Q. He only laughed when Riker put his hands around his throat.

"What are you laughing at? If you were human, and you lost a child you'd understand what I was going through!?"

Q only clucked his tongue at Riker and laughed some more.

"Come, come, Riker, you can't hurt a Q. We're omnipotent. I guess I should say this in human fashion: You have my deepest heart felt sympathies and condolences."

With a flash he was once again gone. Looking around the room and noticing all the startled stares Riker was getting he straightened his uniform shirt out and picked up the stool.

"I'm sorry about the mess Guinan. I can help you clean it up if you'd like?"

Guinan only waved her hand at Riker and began cleaning up the mess. Deanna pulled on his arm.

"Will I think you've had enough to drink. Let's pay Beverly a visit. She can give you something to help you sleep."

But Riker didn't want to sleep. He wanted more to drink. He didn't realize how unsteady he was on his feet until he tripped over them. Deanna somehow held him steady as they made our way to Sickbay. When they went through the door to Sickbay, Riker was beginning to swim. He could see that Beverly had been crying. But he left it alone.

"Beverly, Will needs something to help him sleep."

Riker was unsteady on his feet, so the two women helped him sit on a bio-bed. He began to protest, his speech not coming out the way he wanted it to.

"I dun need nuthin' to help me sleep. I wanna have sumthin' to drink."

Both women shook their heads at Riker, which now looked like four of them. Beverly's voice rang in his ears.

"I think you've had enough to drink Will. This will help you sleep. You need rest."

The tears in her eyes made his heart sink to its lowest point. Jessica's and Erica's smiling faces were the last thing Riker saw in his minds eye as he closed his eyes and drifted off into a dreamless slumber.

Two weeks later

She just looked like she was simply asleep. Beverly and Deanna had helped Riker dress Jessica in her favorite sky blue dress, and her matching blue sweater. Riker tucked her dog Spot under her left arm, where she always had it. Not afraid to hold his tears back anymore, Riker pulled the carefully preserved 5 century old flag from his back pocket of his dress uniform and draped it over her. His voice shook as he spoke to her.

"There, so you can have your super cape. You can be like Superman now."

Deanna clutched Riker's hand tightly, her own tears evident.

"A month ago, she had tied the flag to her dress and said it was her super cape. She said: daddy you saved me with this flag, so it must be my super cape. I lived a lifetime in just a month with these two. I honestly never thought I was quite ready to have children of my own, but when Jessica and Erica entered my life from being on the U.S.S. London, nothing could be further from that. They were my heart and soul."

He finally let them go, but they would be in his mind and his heart forever.

To Be Continued...


	8. A chance at happiness

_**Chapter 8: A second chance at happiness**_

Author: zeusfluff.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Star Trek: TNG characters. But I do own a few originals. Enjoy!

A/N: So Q helps Riker out and sends him to the past, he see's Jessica's birth. Through Thomas' eyes.

* * *

"Thomas, you're here! I didn't think you'd make it!"

Riker was seeing through the eyes of his ˜brother". This was his second chance at happiness. He must be onboard the London. Riker gave Morgan a smile, and grasped her hand. A nurse wiped the sweat from her forehead.

"Are you kidding? I wouldn't miss this in the world. What father in their right mind would miss the birth of his first-born?"

Morgan's green eyes lit up with pure joy.

"What are we going to name her?"

Riker only smiled. He was watching Jessica's birth firsthand.

"I'd thought we decided on Jessica for her first name, and Ann for her middle name, after my mother. Put it all together and we have Jessica Ann Jansen-Riker."

Morgan gave Riker a mortified look.

"You want to hyphenate our daughter's name?"

Riker only shrugged his shoulders and smiled.

"Why not? It'll give her some distinction."

He couldn't understand her. Why didn't she like what he'd just said? It's a perfectly dignified explanation.

"Alright Thomas. But if she doesn't... Ah! Doctor Santowson, something's wrong!"

Riker swallowed and put a hand up to her cheek. Tears were streaming down her face.

"Morgan sweetheart, what's wrong?"

Riker looked to Doctor Santowson, she was a towering woman with auburn hair and hazel eyes, a few inches shorter than him. A frown was plastered onto her face.

"Looks like this baby is breech. She's coming out back-first. I'll have to turn her."

Riker grimaced at Doctor Santowson and placed a kiss onto Morganâ€™s forehead. He grabbed for both of her hands and held them tightly. He heard her groan and watched Doctor Santowson. His face paled. Jessica was really coming back-first. He went back up by Morgan's head and stayed there.

"You are more than welcome to watch Thomas. There's nothing to be ashamed of. This is only the miracle of life unfolding in front of our very eyes."

Swallowing, Riker felt his face grow hot with slight embarrassment. What was he embarrassed about? Doctor Santowson was right this was the miracle of life.

"It's not that I'm embarrassed, it just looks painful. If I were a woman, I don't know how I would handle this situation."

Doctor Santowson looked at Riker seriously and then continued with the task at hand in front of her.

"I'll be honestly blunt with you Thomas: giving birth is no easy task. There are three stages of labor: Early labor, Active labor and Transition to the second stage."

Riker put his hand up to stop Doctor Santowson from continuing.

"I've read a few medical texts. I get it. My question is this though: What if the baby can't fit?"

Doctor Santowson had all her options lined up.

"Well, if the baby can't fit, that's what this laser scalpel is for. But from what I can tell, Jessica's head isn't quite big enough to take that measure. We're safe."

Riker grimaced and continued holding Morgan's hands. Everything happened so quickly after that. His breath hitched as Doctor Santowson held Jessica up for Morgan and him to see. All red and crying, Riker knew he was given back a miracle.

"Let daddy hear that beautiful cry baby girl. All that's missing is your super cape, so that you can be like Superman."

Morgan gave Riker a hard to read expression when his face saddened. Jessica was now wrapped in a blanket in her mother's arms.

"Thomas, what are you talking about? What's wrong honey? You look sad."

Riker would be breaking the Temporal Prime Directive if he told her about the other timeline. Shaking his head, he let a few stray tears fall for a minute. There was one thing that he could tell her, and he should tell her now, in case either of them were to pass on and needed someone to take care of the girls. Of course Erica wouldn't be there for another 3 years.

"It's nothing sweetheart. Everything's just so overwhelming. Look at those tiny fingers. There is something I think you should know Morgan. I have a brother. A twin brother. His name is Will. He's the 1st officer aboard the Enterprise. If anything were to happen to either of us, I would like Jessica to be under his care."

Morgan gave Riker a sympathetic smile but there was something behind her eyes.

"If your brother is anything like you, I'm sure he'd be a wonderful father. In this case, he's Jessica's uncle. But I've already written out my will in case things go south. Jessica will be in the care of my parents. They live in the Nation-State of Australia."

His face paled. So nothing had changed. The events that had happened in the other timeline were still going to happen, and Riker was powerless to stop it. Including the invasion of the London by the Cardassians. Things hadn't turned out the way they should have.

The End.


End file.
